34. The test of archery

Once Drona decided to test all his disciples. In the absence of the princes he called a sculptor and got a nice blue winged bird made and placed it on a treetop. Then he called all the princes and asked them to be ready with their bows and arrows to behead that bird. A they lined up beneath the tree, the Master first called Yudhisthir and asked him to aim at the target. As Yudhisthir readied his bow looking at the decoy bird, Drona asked, ‘Son, can you see the bird and me and your brothers around?’ Yudhisthir replied: ‘Yes, master. I can very well see the bird and you together with other brothers assembled here.’ Drona was greatly unhappy hearing the answer. Asking Yudhisthir to just disappear he then called Duryodhan, repeated his question and got the same answer. Drona tried with a number of other advanced students but their answers were no different.

At last Drona asked Arjun to come forward and take an aim at the bird. As Arjun looked at the target holding his bows firmly in hand, Drona asked him:’ Son, what do you see?’ To this Arjun replied, “Master, I can see nothing other than the bird’. Drona put the next question: ‘Are you able to see the full body of the bird?’ ‘No Sir, I can see only its head and nothing else’- replied the disciple. Satisfied with the answer the Master ordered: ‘Behead it’. No sooner he said, an arrow issued out of Arjun’s bow like a flash of lightening and the next moment the beheaded bird fell to the ground.  Dronacharya was delighted and reckoned now he would be able to settle the old score with King Drupad. Incidentally, as Drona was training the princes, he could never forget the insult and humiliation at the hands of his friend Drupad. The fire of revenge often consumed him denying any peace. He had a plan to take revenge and reckoned that the time for action has nearly arrived.